Camera mechanism



L. J. R. HOLST AND N. PEDERSEN.

CAMERA MECHANISM.

APPLICATION F'ILED SEPT. 8. I916.

Patvntvd July 2%), 191%).

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

TIG J.

L. J. R. HOLST AND N. PEDERSEN.

CAMERA MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8. 1916.

Patented July 29, 1919.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2 awuemtocs Z 4 7. R. ##3- 1w, PZW Z'QM I awe awe L. J. R. HOLST AND N. PEDERSEN.

CAMERA MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.8.1916. 1,3 1 1 ,447, I Patented July 29, 1919.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

FIG. 5

v lwuewtoz;

I .7. W wan/WM e pink/aw @WZWW sz L. J. R. HOL'ST AND N. PEDERSEN. CAMERA MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8. 1 916.

Patented July 29, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

g J7[G 4 5%20 I 55., %zwu7@q,

M artou UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

.LODEW YK J'. R. HOLST AND NIELS PEDERSEN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO ARTHUR BROCK, TR, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAMERA MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 29; 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LoDEwYK J. R. HoLsT and NIELS PEDERSEN, both citizens of the United States of America, and residents of the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Camera Mechanism, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved self-contained camera mechanism adapt-ed to expose'successive sections of a light sensitive film at predetermined time intervals. The improved camera mechanism was especially devised for use on an aeroplane, balloon, or the like, for taking overlapping pictures of the earths surface, and particularly for military reconnaissance and map making purposes. Whilethe camera mechanism is of especial value for the use stated, it is well adapted for use wherever a relatively simple and effective camera mechanism for taking a series of eX- posures in regular succession at predetermined time intervals is desired.

An important characteristic of the preferred camera mechanism devised by us isformed by the provisions made for utilizing a main motor intermittently operating to advance successive sections of the light sensitivc material through the position forexposure, and for utilizing a separate timing motor to start the main motor at regular intervals. By using a separate timing motor, in lieu of a friction brake speed control of the main motor, we avoid the power consumption incident to the use of the last mentioned form of control, and thus make it practically feasible to employ a simple and relatively light weight form 0t spring motor as the main driving. motor. In the preferred embodiment of our invention the light sensitive material is in the form of a continuous film, but some of the features of our invention are not limited to use in a film camera.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are" pointed out with articularity in the claims annexed toand orming a' part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention,

matter in which or analogous however, and the specific advantages 0btained with it, reference should be had to the accompanyingdrawings and descriptive there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of-the invention.

Of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation with parts broken away and in section;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation with parts broken away and in section;

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan taken 'on the line 3-3 of l;

Fig. 4 is a somewhat diagrammatic sectional plan, the section line 44 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a somewhat diagrammatic sectional elevation, the section being taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional of the apparatus, the section being taken on the line 6-6 of Fi 7; and

Fig. 7 is a partia sectional plan of a portion of the apparatus, the section being taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

In the drawings and referring first to the somewhat simpler diagrammatic showing of the invention found in Figs. 4 and 5, the camera comprises a camera box or casing A provided at one side or end with an aperture in which a lens holderv A is mounted and being taken' on the shown as provided with an opaque conical' wind-up drum F. The film is intermittently advanced and exposed as hereinafter explained. The time of exposure is controlled by a shutter in the form of a flexible curtain G formed with a slot G: extending transversely to the length of the curtain and film. The curtain G is intermittently drawn across the casing A by the film f ing mechanism driving the curtain wind-up roll I. At the time of exposure the roll I is disconnected from its driving mechanism and the curtain then quickly retracted by the spring controlled roll H. Normally the lens opening in the camera 'box is closed by the safety shutter R, but the latter is swung elevation of a portion drawn from a supfrom the position shown in 5 into that shown in Figs. 1' and immediately previous to each exposure; The camera is op erated by a spzilng motor of which J represents the wind' g shaft.

The motor comprises spring barrels J J J and J mounted on. the' winding haft J and each containing a spiral spring 5 having its Outer end connected to the corresponding spring barrel. The inner end of the spring J 5 in the barrel J is connected at its inner end to a sleeve likeextension J 6 of the hub of the barrel J 2 which extends into the spring barrel J, and the inner ends of the springs in the barrels J and J 3 are similarly connected, respectively, to the hub extensions of the spring barrels J 3 and J The spring in thebarrel J is connected at its inner end to the shaft J as by means of the screw J Adjacent the spring barrel J is agear J 8 secured to the shaft J vand in mesh with a small car J on the Winding shaft J Externa of the camera casing the shaft J is provided with a winding crank J. A ratchet wheel J 12 secured to the shaft J and a cooperating pawl J pivotally mounted on the inner wall of the camera housing A prevents backward rotation of the motor shaft J. Secured to the spring barrel J and concentric with the latter is a spur gear J through which and cooperat ing gears the spring motor actuates the film feeding and shutter actuating mechanism. Also secured to the spring drum J and locatedbetween it and the spring drum J 2 is a spur. gear J which is in; mesh and drives the winding gear j of a clock mechanism controlling the speed of operation of the camera mechanism, and thus fixing the time intervals between SUCCGSSIVG exposures. This-timing mechanlsm, of whlch the spur gear 9" forms a part, comprises a shaft 9' connected to the gear j by means of a ratchet wheel 7" secured tothe shaft 7' and a pawl 7' pivotally connected ,to the stud of the gear j. The shaft 7' passes through a spring barrel 7' and is journaled in the elongated hub portion of the latter. 1 Within the spring barrel 7' is mounted a spiral spring 17' connected at the inner end.to,the shaft. i

and at its outer end to the spring barrel 7' .Thespring barrel i has secured to it a spur gear j which is coaxial with the shaft 9' and in mesh with a lantern pinion y" secured to the shaft of anescapement disk or wheel 7' Cooperating with the escapement disk j is an escapement anchor 7' carried by the rock shaft j to which is also secured a lever element 7' of a double pendulum. The latter is connected at its lower end by a pin and slot connection of which j 'represents the pin,

to a second lever element 3'}? of the pendulum. The lever is pivotally su ported at j, and is provi ed at its ends wit bearings for a threaded shaft on which are threadcan be increased or diminished by movingthe weights j toward or away from ,one another.

Secured to the elongated hub of the spring barrel 7' are a couple of similar cam disks j, and an intervening cam disk 7'. The cam disks 7' are each formed with a plurality of projections adapted to engage and shift a corresponding lever K. As shown, each of the cam disks 7' are provided with four of these projections, or teeth, and the two cam disks have their teeth staggered so that first one and then the second of the two levers K will be shifted in regular alternation, each lever being shifted four times 9'. The two levers K, which are similar to one another, are pivoted on ,a supporting shaft K and are each provided at its upper end with a hook or pawl portion K adapted to intermittently engage and release the vteeth of corresponding toothed disks L co axial with and secured to a large gear L ,the arrangement bein such that each time a lever K is shifted y a projection or tooth "of .the corresponding cam disk j, the upper end of the lever will be moved out of engagement with a tooth of the corresponding disk L. When thus released the gear L will be turned by the spring motor through an' the driving gear J. secured to the spring barrel J. The gear L is also in mesh with an idler. M which is in mesh with a gear E secured to the shaft. of the measuring roll E. The gear F two disks F and F which are arranged face to face and form the active elements of a frictlon clutch through which'the gear F" rotates the-film winding drum F. The fricis secured to the outer of" tion clutch disk F is secured to the shaft F of the film winding drum. A spring F presses the gear F and clutch member F against the clutch member F. F represents a handle secured to the outer end of the'drum F to permit the manual rotation of the wind-up drum F. F represents the housing of a spring friction device for adding a frictional load on the film winding drum F and C" represent the housings of struck by either of the two similar friction devices at the ends'ofthe These devices insure that the portion of the film between the" idler rolls D and D is always kept taut.

The spur gear E secured to the measuring roll E drives a spur gear I mounted on,

and detachably secured to the shaftfof the shutter ciirtain unwinding roll I \through the speed'freducing gears. The latter iiiclude gears M 'iihd M which are coaxial with and secured to; one another, and are inZme'sh, respectively, with the gear E andga' spur gear M 5 The latter is coxial with and secured toa gear M which is in mesh with the gear 1. The gear I is alternately'connected to',' "and disconnected from the shaft of the unwinding roll I by meansof a ratchet wheel I secured to the shaftjof the roll I, anda pawl I pivoted at I to 'a disk I which iss hown as integrally connected with the spur gear I. Normally the pawl I is in engageinent with a tooth of the ratchet wheel 1, {and the roll I thereby placed in gear with-the driving gear J and the intermediate gearing referred to. At regular intervals, :occurring, with the mechanism shown, once for each rotation of the drum E, the pawl I is moved out of engagement with theratchet wheel I. This perhiits the portion of the shutter curtain G which has been drawn off the roll H b the unwinding. roll I to be retracted. s

The mechanism for disengaging pawl I and the ratchet I? comprises a,,l 'e ver N journaled on the stud K and having its upper end adapted to move into engagement with thepawl I when its lowerfiend is diametrically opposed. projections of the cam "disk i which is mounted between the cam disks 7' and secured to the hub of the springibarrel 7' of the governing mechanism for 1 9 main motor. When the pawl I and ratchet I are disengaged the curtain shutter G is 'fwound up on the shutter roll H, and the slit G in the curtain G moved across the portion ofv the film B in line with the open upper end of the chamber A at a predetermined rate.

' shaft This rate, is determined by the tensioitof the helical spring H mounted within the hollow roll H, and connected at one end tothe roll H, and at the other end to the stationary on which the roll H isjournaled and which is secured at its ends in the opposite wallsof the camera housing.

After the shutter slit G is thus moved across the film and an exposure thereby made, the continued operation of the mechanism causes the renga ent of the pawl I with the ratchet wheel whereupon the curtain shutter G is again wound off the roll H on to theroll I. To prevent the ex sure of the film throu the slit G during t is movement of the s 1ttoward the roll I from the roll H, the safety shutter R in provided, This shutter normally'occupies the closed position shown in full lines in Fig. 5, but is maintained in the wide open position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 during the period in which the pawl I is disconnected from the ratchet wheel I". It will be understood that the feed ofthe shutter curtain G may be, and in practice is appreciably greater than the movement necessary to carry the slit G across the portion of the film exposed atone time. This provides the necessary overlapping time at the beginning and ending of each shutter movement. The safety shutter R is operated by a cam L? secured to the spur gear L and provided with. two teeth which successively engage the arm P secured to a rock shaft P carrying a second arm P. As the rock shaft P is angularly shifted on each engagement of the teeth of the cam L with the rock shaft arm P", the

rock shaft P engages and oscillates an arm- R secured to the rock shaft R to which the safety shutter R is secured.

. When the camera mechanism is used in aerial photography 'it will ordinarily be connected to the frame work of the air craft on which it is mounted by a universal coupling to permit the optical axis of the camera to be maintained in parallelism with itself notwithstanding tilting and pitching movement of the air craft. As shown, the camera housing A is provided with trunnions A adjacent its upper edge for pivotally connecting the camera housing to a gimbal frame or like portion of a universal coupling by which the camera housing is connected to the air craft.

To prevent the transfer of the film from the supply roll C to the wind-up roll F from disturbing the center of gravity of the camera mechanism, and thus tending to disturb the direction of the optical axis of the camerav mechanism, I provide a shifting counterweight with provisions for adjusting it to compensate for the change in film disposition. As shown, this mechanism comprises a rock shaft S carrying arms S in which is journaled a roll S bearing against the periphery of the film body wound about the suply roll C. The rock shaft S is provided with an arm S connected 'by a link S to one end of a lever S which is pivotally connected at S to the housing A'of the camera. At the free end of the end arm of the lever S is provided a counterweight S, a spring S acting between the camera housing A and the link S which tends at all times to hold the roll S against the film wound about the roll 0. ,With this arrangement, as the diameter of the film body of the roll C diminishes with a corresponding shifti n of the center of gravity of the roll from the left to the right as seen in Fig. 1 the weight S is correspondingly move from the rig t to the left and any substanduring which the relative positions of the tial change in the location of the center of gravity of the camera mechanism as a whole, is avoided.

.In operation the spring drum 7' is rotated by the action of the spring j at a rate which may be adjusted by varying the distance between the weights 7' on the pendulum lever 7' As the spring drum 7' rotates, the cam disks 9' actuate and shift the levers K in regular succession thus successively re-. leasing the cam disks L for angular movements of The movement thus permitted the driving gear J of the spring motor moves the parts .of the camera mechanism proper connected to and actuated by the spring .motor, and winds up the spring 1' of the timing mechanism as rapidly as the latter is permitted to unwind by its escapement. The external handle j! on the shaft.

two levers K and the corresponding cam disks j are such that the film ismomentarily at rest. When the pawl I and ratchet wheel I -are disengaged, the exposure controlling shutter G is drawnacross the under side of thefilm off the roll I and onto the roll. H. As the shutter slit G -moves along the surf-ace of the film, the latter is thereby exposed. After the exposure is effected the safety shutter R closes, and the pawl I and 1 ratchet wheel I again engage and set the shutter curtain G by moving the slit G from the left to the right of the camera as seen in Fig. 1.

' The spring motor mechanism proper disclosed herein comprising a main spring motor mechanism and a spring clock governor' for the latter the spring of which is wound up by the main motor as fast as is required to maintai'rfthe same average tension of this spring forms no part of the present invention, but on the contrary is the invention of Niels Pedersen and is claimed in his application, Serial No. 96,890, filed May 6, 1916. The disclosed combination ofthis spring motor with the remainder of the mechanism form a simple and effective automatic camera mechanism embodying features of novelty, however, which do form. a part of the present invention. The camera mechanism disclosed forms a. simpleand efiective means for giving a definite and uniform 'skilled in the art that many changes may be I :made in the forms of the apparatus disclosed without departing from thespirit of our invention and that certain features of our invention may sometimes be used with advantage without a correspondinguse of other features. v v Having now described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters. Patent, is: i

' 1. 'In a camera the combination with feedingmechanism for successively advancing sections of light sensitive material through the positionof exposure, of a motor, a yielding connection through which the motor drives said feeding-mechanism, means actuated by the feeding mechanism for stopping the motor following each movement of a section of the light sensitive material into the position of exposure, a shutter set by the motor during each operation of the latter, and a timing mechanism for tripping said shutter and starting said motor at regular intervals. a

2. In a film camera the combination of a spring motor, fihn feeding mechanism including a measuring roll and means geared to and driven by said spring motor for drawing the film over said roll without slippage, and means for starting said motor at predetermined intervals and for stopping the motor after a predetermined angular movement of said measuring roll following each starting of the spring motor,

3. In a film camera, film feedin mecha msm comprising 1n comblnatlo'n, a 1m feeding roll, ameasuring roll over which the film is drawn bysaid feeding roll, means for intermittently giving said measu-ring roll a predetermined angular movement, and

means, including a friction clutch, tending to so rotate the feeding roll that its peripheral speedwill be greater than that, of the measuring roll, but yielding to permit the film to travel about the measuring roll without slipping.

4.- In a camera, the combination with means for advancing the light sensitive material through the position of exposure, of counterbalancing means automatically ad.- justed in response to the movement of the light sensitive material to compensate for the displacement of the latter with respect to the center of gravity of the camera and.

thus maintain said center of gravity substantially unchanged. 7 i

5. In a film camera; the combination with film feeding echanism adapted to alternately advan e the film a predetermined distance and then maintain the film stationary during an exposure period, of an exposure controlling shutter in the form of a slotted curtain, resilient means tending to give the shutter its movement of exposure and means connecting said shutter to said feeding mechanism during the film advancing stage to thereby put said resilient means under tension and set the shutter, and a safety shutter maintained in the closed condition by said mechanism during the film advancing period and in the open position during the film' exposing period.

6. In an automatic camera the combination with feeding mechanism for intermittently moving exposed light sensitive mate rial out of, and for moving unexposed light sensitive material into, and then maintaining it stationary in, the position for exposure during an exposure period, of an exposure controlling shut-,

ter in the form of a slotted curtain, resilient means tending to give the shutter its movement of exposure, means connecting said shutter to said feeding mechanism during the feeding period to thereby put said resilient means under tension and set the shutter, and a safety shutter maintained in the closed condition by said mechanism during the feeding period, and in the open position during the period of exposure.

7. In an automatic camera the combina tion with feeding mechanism for intermittently moving successive sections of light sensitive material through the position of exposure, of an intermittently operating main motor driving said feeding mechanism, a safety shutter opened and closed by the main motor during each operation of the latter, and a timing motor for starting the main motor and tripping the exposure controlling shutter at regular intervals.

LODEWYK J. R. HOLST. 'NIE'LS PEDERSEN. 

